Man convicted of soliciting prostitute, SLO DA announces

October 1, 2015

Correction: The San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office is continuing to prosecute prostitutes, though not those determined to be victims of human trafficking.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office is announcing the conviction of a 27-year-old man who solicited prostitution.

On Tuesday, a San Luis Obispo jury convicted Yonas Yohannes of misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution. Yohannes was fined, placed on probation for two years, and ordered to serve 10 days in county jail, according to the district attorney’s office.

Authorities arrested Yohannes on Oct. 21, 2014 during a sting that involved police officers from Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. The sting resulted in the arrests of 37 johns and prostitutes.

The district attorney’s office has since announced it plans to stop prosecuting prostitutes who they determine are victims of human trafficking.

But, the DA’s office will continue vigorously prosecuting people who solicit prostitution. Also, prosecutors will publish the convictions in attempt to reduce the demand for prostitution, the DA’s office said in a press release announcing Yohannes’s conviction.

“Too often, the other participant is a juvenile victim of human trafficking — a modern form of slavery and itself a felony crime,” the press release states.

In January, the district attorney’s office led an effort to create an Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force. The project includes the county sheriff’s office and other local law enforcement agencies.

18 Comments

If the john paid her asking rate, and she is of proper age; how is this exploitation of labor? If so aren’t all workers of any job therefore exploited? Why is the hooker then not prosecuted for non-payment of the various business taxes, business permits, payroll taxes and Soc.Sec? Best the DA go back to law school

I’d like to know what happened to the other 36 suspects. Word on the street is that our LEOs were running a nice little entrapment op, to bump up arrest numbers (of mostly innocent people). That would explain the dismal conviction rate from this operation.

That’s pretty common, from the stories I’ve read. “Soliciting” means asking for or trying to obtain. An undercover cop offering sex to make an arrest is herself soliciting, which is apparently legal if you have a badge.

So to stay legal, it seems you should NOT say “hey baby, wanna party?” but “hey baby, wanna make a movie of us partying?” That takes you from john to low-budget porn director.

It amazes me that in these type of times, someone would pay to have sex. there are way to many people these days that put out for free. Sorry if I offended anyone and not trying to, but it’s true that it’s pretty easy to get laid these days.

California Penal Code 647(b) prohibits engaging in the act of prostitution, and offering or agreeing to engage in the act of prostitution. The statute clearly prohibits the actions of the prostitute, the customer and the pimp (if there is one).

How can elected officials sworn to uphold the law, ignore the law? The DA should be removed for making this statement as he has violated his oath of office.

This is ridiculous.. so ONLY men that solicit are the criminals now?? I can see if the girl is under 18.. but if she isn’t then she is responsible for her actions unless she can prove shes being forced into it. This is just another attempt at demonizing mens sexuality!!
This is just a get out jail free card for women that sell themselves.. must be nice!!

This is unfair to lead the public down the path of believing there is a chance the prostitute this man hired might have been underage. Was it really necessary to single this man out of the other johns and shame the hell out of him?

They should legalize prostitution. It would knock the illegals right out of business. And if it doesn’t…it will reduce it so that the taskforce is free to focus on the minor children held captive that are being horrendously damaged for life. I interviewed a man for a paper I did once while in college who hired prostitutes (mostly in Nevada-because he was cautious of disease). He frequently travelled on business, was not ready to enter a long-term relationship and confessed he could not perform until he knew a women well because of his penis size (which the estimated was about 3 inches in length). Prostitutes had a way of “accepting him as he was”, he claimed.

People are human–and men are different than women in the sexual arena. They many times hire a prostitute to get their needs met for closeness but lack intimacy skills. This is just crappy journalism–shaming someone for the fun of it. Whomever wrote this article: you get the Worm Award today—for being a part of the problem. Using journalism to single out and shame one person IS NOT OKAY.

Even if legalized, there will be “levels” of quality. You see this in every area with legalized prostitution (NV, Denmark, Holland, etc). Like all other commodities, you pay for what you get… Jane the crack whore probably will not earn as much as Peaches the Nurse, or Sylvia the Model.